Michael Cato’s Future Plans
Dear faculty, staff, and students,
I am writing to share the news that Michael Cato, senior vice president and chief information officer, will leave Bowdoin at the end of March 2027. He has accepted a position as associate partner at Opus Partners, a national executive search firm.
While I am happy for Michael, I will miss his partnership. I am deeply grateful to Michael for his strong leadership in information technology at Bowdoin for the past eight years. He has led Bowdoin’s talented team of IT professionals with innovation and integrity and has been a valued and trusted partner to many across the College. During his tenure at Bowdoin, Michael has been instrumental in guiding the community through major changes, such as Bowdoin’s coordinated response to COVID-19, strengthening our cybersecurity program, and implementing our enterprise software, Workday. He played a pivotal role in shaping the College’s innovative Digital Excellence Commitment (DExC) program, which provides technology for all Bowdoin students. Michael has also helped shape many policies and programs related to data governance and the ongoing planning, exploration, and implementation of AI tools at the College.
This exciting change for Michael reflects his natural talent and passion for cultivating emerging leaders and building enduring teams. Michael has spent more than twenty-five years leading information technology teams in higher education, including at Vassar College and in the University of North Carolina system. Among many honors, he has received the 2022 Technology Executive of the Year award in education from the IT Senior Management Forum and the 2021 EDUCAUSE Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Leadership Award. He served as founding director of the Next Leaders Fellowship, a program that identifies, develops, and advocates for information and technology professionals in higher education, with a special emphasis on developing leaders from diverse backgrounds.
I am grateful to Michael for all that he has done for Bowdoin and all that he will do between now and the end of March. We will soon launch a national search for his successor. Please join me in thanking Michael for his leadership and service to Bowdoin and wishing him well in his next chapter.
Sincerely,
Safa
I am writing to share the news that Michael Cato, senior vice president and chief information officer, will leave Bowdoin at the end of March 2027. He has accepted a position as associate partner at Opus Partners, a national executive search firm.
While I am happy for Michael, I will miss his partnership. I am deeply grateful to Michael for his strong leadership in information technology at Bowdoin for the past eight years. He has led Bowdoin’s talented team of IT professionals with innovation and integrity and has been a valued and trusted partner to many across the College. During his tenure at Bowdoin, Michael has been instrumental in guiding the community through major changes, such as Bowdoin’s coordinated response to COVID-19, strengthening our cybersecurity program, and implementing our enterprise software, Workday. He played a pivotal role in shaping the College’s innovative Digital Excellence Commitment (DExC) program, which provides technology for all Bowdoin students. Michael has also helped shape many policies and programs related to data governance and the ongoing planning, exploration, and implementation of AI tools at the College.
This exciting change for Michael reflects his natural talent and passion for cultivating emerging leaders and building enduring teams. Michael has spent more than twenty-five years leading information technology teams in higher education, including at Vassar College and in the University of North Carolina system. Among many honors, he has received the 2022 Technology Executive of the Year award in education from the IT Senior Management Forum and the 2021 EDUCAUSE Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Leadership Award. He served as founding director of the Next Leaders Fellowship, a program that identifies, develops, and advocates for information and technology professionals in higher education, with a special emphasis on developing leaders from diverse backgrounds.
I am grateful to Michael for all that he has done for Bowdoin and all that he will do between now and the end of March. We will soon launch a national search for his successor. Please join me in thanking Michael for his leadership and service to Bowdoin and wishing him well in his next chapter.
Sincerely,
Safa